The tragedy has raised questions about why tourists were allowed on a volcano where experts had recently raised threat levels
13 December: New Zealand military team lands on volcano for risky recovery mission
New Zealand is also renowned for its rugged landscapes, which feature prominently films such as Kiwi director Peter Jackson's"Lord of the Rings".Day-trips to White Island combined both, taking tourists including cruise ship passengers to a desolately beautiful island off the North Island coast where they could experience the thrill of standing on an active volcano.
In 2015, seven people were killed when a scenic helicopter flight crashed into Fox Glacier. Two years earlier, a hot-air balloon claimed 11 lives and in 2010 nine died when a plane carrying skydivers plunged into a paddock. Trade body Tourism Industry Aotearoa disputes such assessments, saying operators are"working within a world's best regulatory framework", but could not eliminate risk completely.
The GeoNet monitoring agency raised White Island's threat level in the week before the eruption but also advised current activity"does not pose a direct hazard to visitors".
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